Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to an object, the word ambidextrous means that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to a person, it means that the person has no marked preference for the use of the right or left hand.
Only about one percent of people are naturally ambidextrous, which equates to about 80,000,000 people in the world. Because many common devices, such as can openers and scissors, are asymmetrical and designed for right-handed people, many left-handers learn to use them right-handedly due to the rarity or lack of left-handed models. Thus, left-handed people are more likely to develop motor skills in their non-dominant hand than are right-handed people.
Etymology The word "ambidextrous" is derived from the Latin roots ambi-, meaning "both", and dexter, meaning "right" or "favorable". Thus, ambidextrous is literally "both right" or "both favorable".
The Latin word is first attested in the Vetus Latina, calquing Ancient Greek "amphoterodéxios" in Judges 3:15 after the Septuagint, itself translating Hebrew iṭṭēr yaḏ yəmīnō, literally "bound in his right hand". This phrase is now generally translated as “left-handed”; the Septuagint translation is either from a variant reading or from a different interpretation.
History The word for "Ambidextrous" was first coined by scholar Thomas Browne in 1646. It was not until the 1880s where ambidexterity stopped being as stigmatized as left-handedness, by this time there was an emergence of movements that advocated for the advantages of learning ambidexterity. A notable figure of this being John Jackson, who founded the Ambidextral Culture Society. Jackson and his followers believed that the brain's hemispheres were independent and distinct from each other, and that mere right-handedness was effectively wasting half of people's potential to learn, and aimed for its widespread adoption. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of The Scout Association supported this movement. Much of Jackson's, and other advocates' claims have since been largely dismissed, with research finding disadvantages that can come with being ambidextrous, however others argue that ambidexterity can still have advantages, which often pertain to the concept of neuroplasticity.
Tools With respect to tools, ambidextrous may be used to mean that the tool may be used equally well with either hand; an "ambidextrous knife" refers to the opening mechanism and locking mechanism on a folding knife. It can also mean that the tool can be interchanged between left and right in some other way, such as an "ambidextrous headset," which can be worn on either the left or right ear. Many tools and implements are made specifically for use in the right hand, and will not work properly if used in the other hand. There exist shops dedicated to selling implements and tools made specifically for left-handed use. For example, left-handed, and ambidextrous, scissors are available.
Many knives are sold sharpened asymmetrically for right-hand use, and resharpened in the same way. It is possible to buy knives sharpened for left-handed use, and to sharpen any knife in that way.
Writing Some people can write with both hands. Famous examples include Benjamin Franklin, Nikola Tesla, James A. Garfield, and Leonardo da Vinci.
Medicine and surgery A degree of ambidexterity is required in surgery. Surgeons must be able to tie with their left and right hands in either single or double knots. This is usually due to factors like the positioning of the surgeon, whether they have an assistant and the angle required to throw and secure the knot.
Ambidexterity is also useful after surgery on a dominant hand or arm, as it allows the patient to use their non-dominant hand with equal facility as the limb which is recovering from surgery.
In India's Singrauli district there is a unique ambidextrous school named Veena Vadini School in Budhela village, where students are taught to write simultaneously with both hands.
Sports Baseball Ambidexterity is advantageous in the sport of baseball, most commonly seen in hitters. A "switch hitter" is highly prized because a batter is more likely to hit the ball successfully if they bat with the opposite hand to the pitcher's throwing hand. An ambidextrous hitter can gain this advantage against both right and left-handed pitchers. Pete Rose, the record holder for most hits in Major League Baseball, was a switch hitter.Seattletimes.com paragraph 2
Switch pitchers are comparatively rare in contrast to switch hitters. Tony Mullane won 284 games in the 19th century.50 Biggest Baseball Myths by Brandon Toropov, page 75Seattletimes.com paragraph 4 Elton Chamberlain and Larry Corcoran were also notable ambidextrous pitchers. In the 20th century, Greg A. Harris was the only major league pitcher to pitch with both his left and his right arm. A natural right-hander, by 1986 he could throw well enough with his left hand that he felt capable of pitching with either hand in a game. Harris was not allowed to throw left-handed in a regular-season game until September 1995 in the penultimate game of his career. Against the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth inning, Harris (then a member of the Montreal Expos) retired Reggie Sanders pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris and Ed Taubensee, who both batted left-handed. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone to end the inning.
In the 21st century there is only one major league pitcher, Pat Venditte of the Seattle Mariners, who regularly pitched with both arms. Venditte became the 21st century's first switch pitcher in the major leagues with his debut on June 5, 2015, against the Boston Red Sox, pitching two innings, allowing only one hit and recording five outs right-handed and one out left handed. During his career, an eponymous "Venditte Rule" was created restricting the ability of a pitcher to change arms in the middle of an at-bat.
Billy Wagner was a natural right-handed pitcher in his youth, but after breaking his throwing arm twice, he taught himself how to use his left arm by throwing nothing but fastballs against a barn wall. He became a dominant left-handed relief pitcher, most known for his 100+ mph fastball. In his 1999 season, Wagner captured the National League Relief Man of the Year Award as a Houston Astro, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Brett Cecil is naturally right-handed, but starting from a very early age, threw with his left. As such, he writes and performs most tasks with the right side of his body, but throws with his left.
Basketball In basketball a player may choose to make a pass or shot with the weaker hand. NBA stars LeBron James, Larry Bird, Kyrie Irving, Rasheed Wallace, Carlos Boozer, David Lee, John Wall, Derrick Rose, Chandler Parsons, Andrew Bogut, John Henson, Michael Beasley, and Jerryd Bayless are ambidextrous players, as was Kobe Bryant. Bogut and Henson are both stronger in the post with their left-handed hook shot than they are with their natural right hands. Brothers Marc and Pau Gasol can make hook shots with either hand while the right hand is dominant for each. Bob Cousy, a Boston Celtics legend was forced to play with his left hand in high school when he injured his right hand, thus making him effectively ambidextrous. Mike Conley shoots left-handed, but has preferred to shoot floaters right handed, as he does everything else right-handed off the court. Ben Simmons and Luke Kennard are also natural right-handers shooting left-handed. Tristan Thompson is a natural left-hander, and was a left-handed shooter, but has shot right-handed since the 2013–2014 season. He does perform left-handed hook shots more often. Los Angeles Lakers center DeAndre Jordan who is left-handed, shoots with his left hand but has been known to dunk with his right hand, spin clockwise in his 360 dunks,Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: and shoot right handed hook shots more accurately and from further out. Charlotte Hornets power forward Miles Bridges is a left-handed shooter; however, he dunks the ball and blocks shots more frequently with his right hand. Former Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert shoots his hook shots equally well with either hand. Former Oklahoma City Thunder left-handed point guard Derek Fisher used to dunk with his right hand in his early years. Candace Parker, forward for the Chicago Sky, also has equal dominance with either hand. Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant shot with either hand, although his right hand was dominant: due to an injury to the right hand, he was forced to shoot with his left. Paul George, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter are all noted to be right-handed, but rotates clockwise for dunks, but Carter is able to also spin counterclockwise, as he did during high school. McGrady also spins anti-clockwise for his baseline dunks. Larry Bird, LeBron James, Paul Millsap, Russell Westbrook, Danny Ainge and Gary Payton shoot right-handed, but do almost everything left-handed off the courts, but Bird once had a game in which he only shot left-handed running hook shots, cross passes and layups. Ronnie Price, however has a tendency to dunk with his left hand, but he is a right-handed shooter. Josh McRoberts is known to be a left handed shooter but does everything with his right hand such as his famous dunks. Ivica Zubac is a right handed shooter, but can shoot hook shots with both hands, and is more accurate with his left handed hooks. Greg Monroe is also a left-handed shooter but does right handed jump hooks and everything else right handed off the court.
Trevor Booker is left handed for shooting a basketball but writes with his right hand. Ben Simmons shoots jumpers and free throws left-handed, but does everything else right-handed, including dunking, throwing long passes and writing. He also shoots more right-handed non-jumpers (layups, floaters and hook shots).
Board sports In skateboarding, being able to skate successfully with not only one's dominant foot forward but also the less dominant one is called "skating switch", and is a prized ability. To illustrate the stances further; there is "regular" which is left shoulder and foot towards the front of the board and the opposite (right shoulder foot towards the front) is referred to as "goofy." These terms are also used in surfing and snowboarding. When skateboarding, whether one pushes with their front or back foot determines whether they are considered regular versus regular-mongo or goofy versus goofy-mongo. The ability to ride both regular and goofy is considered to be "switch stance". Notable switch skateboarders include Rodney Mullen, Eric Koston, Guy Mariano, Paul Rodriguez Jr., Mike Mo Capaldi, and Bob Burnquist. Similarly, surfers who ride equally well in either stance are said to be surfing "switch”. Snowboarding, at an advanced level, requires the ability to ride equally well in either stance.
Combat sports